Sleepless Nights
by ChillyLove
Summary: You have to fall asleep to stay safe. HitsuRuki.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second story^^ I have read some fanfics about Bleach, where they make them just ordinary humans, and not soulreapers, so I think I'm going to try that out, except they wont be completely normal humans. Well, you can just read the story yourselves and see^^**

**And I'm very sorry for all my errors :P**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 1.

_As night shows its face..._

_As day fades away..._

_As dreams form in the depths of our minds..._

_At every tenth night..._

_The creatures of the dark, come forth and hunt the last few, that still remain awake..._

_You have to fall asleep, to stay safe._

* * *

_He was running. The creatures were just behind him...How long did it take for the sun to rise again? Would he be able to run until then? The creatures were sneering, howling, chasing him. Until they would catch him. Or until the sun would rise once again._

_He fell. He stumbled. It was all over now._

_The creatures were standing over him, circling him so there would be no escape. It was all over now. The creatures went for the kill. The man's last screams, and the sound of blood splattering in all directions, would never be heard by another human._

* * *

It was a bright, and sun filled day. Her raven black hair only fluttered slightly in the low breeze. She was walking on a bridge. Her amethyst eyes, were watching the very slight waves that were forming in the water. She never noticed the paper that slipped from her school bag.

"Hey! Wait up!" She turned to look at the person who called to her. It had to be to her, because no one else was around. As her eyes fell on the person who was running up to her, her eyes widened and she blushed, looking down to the ground before her, but stopped to wait for the person who was running towards her.

He finally caught up to her. "Here" He handed her a piece of paper. "It fell out your bag" He told her. She shyly took the paper, and only stared at him while blushing. Her knees always got weak when he was around. She was always nervous around him. His emerald eyes was all she needed to see, to make her knees go weak...

But she could see there was something very dark and cold in those eyes of his. It made chills run down her spine. His eyes looked like those of a person who had killed before, and would do it again. And it was like they had a supernatural glow in them.

Another thing was, he never smiled. He always seemed to look so serious all the time. It made him look so cold and distant.

"Rukia, are you okay?" She snapped back from her thoughts.

"Oh, uh...y-yeah" She blushed some more. "Oh, and t-thanks for handing m-me the paper" She stuttered.

He only raised a brow in suspicion. "Are you sure you're fine? You look pale. And your cheeks are flushed. You're not getting sick, are you?" He asked her.

"I-I'm fine" She looked down to the ground.

He still was suspicious. "Rukia, we've been friends for a long time now. I can tell when something's wrong with you. You've acted strange a lot lately."

For those who did not know him, thought he was just as cold as he looked. But she knew he was not as cold as the look in his eyes. She knew he cared. He was her friend, and she loved him.

She loved his snow-white hair. She loved the cool air about him. She loved that he always seemed suspicious about everything. She loved his emerald eyes. And most of all, she loved that he was not at all like the person he appeared to be. Cold, heartless, and distant.

He had many friends, who knew this about him too. And she was one of them. His friend. Who loved him more than just a friend.

"Rukia!" He snapped his fingers before her. "Get back to earth. You're not dead yet"

She snapped out of it. "Oh, I'm sorry...Did you say something?"

He rolled his eyes. "You need to go home and rest. You're getting sick" He stated.

She only nodded, agreeing with him. She was not sick, but she needed to go home. And she didn't want him being suspicious about her. Because he surely would give up at nothing to find out what was the matter with her, and he _would_ find out if he decided to. "Okay" She said, and started to walk home.

When she was some distance away from him, but still able to hear him. He shouted out to her. "Make sure to fall asleep tonight!" She didn't understand why he was telling her this. But she didn't really think too much about it. At that time.

* * *

Back home at her place, she was in her room. Standing before a body long mirror. Rukia Kuchiki was beautiful. But couldn't see it herself.

People saw her as a smart and beautiful young woman. She was rich to top it of. Almost every guy in her class would do many things to hold her hand. They were jealous of the guy she loved so much. Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Rukia always was reading books and trying to work up her brains to impress Toshiro. She wasn't as smart as he was, but she had the second best scores in her class, after him.

She sighed, thinking it was just a waste to glare herself down in the mirror, in hopes her reflection would get so scared it would change her into something she already was. Beautiful.

It was getting late. She needed to go to bed. But she couldn't really fall asleep. Her mind was exploding with thoughts about nothing, and everything. She got a very bad feeling about not being able to fall asleep. Besides, Toshiro'd told her to make sure to fall asleep, in a way that made her feel like something very bad was going to happen if she didn't. She buried her head under the covers.

She could hear ghostly howling and sneering. It sounded like several of them. She began to shiver in fright. What was making those noises? She carefully peeked up from the covers.

Her eyes widened in surprise and fear. In her room...creauters. Dark creatures with yellow eyes, were just standing over her bed, about to attack. She quickly slung herself out of her bed and past the creatures. She had no idea what to do next. The creatures were coming after her. Something told her, the creatures were bloodthirsty.

She spotted her huge window, and to her good luck, it was open. The creatures probably had gotten into her room that way. She quickly ran over to her window and jumped out of it. But the creatures were running after her.

* * *

She was running. She was getting tired. But the creatures were still running after her. She ran into the forest. Maybe she could get rid of them there. She hid behind a big tree. She could hear the creatures getting closer, by the sound of twigs snapping. She was sure it was all over now. She didn't have the strength to run, or even just take one more step.

The creatures were close now. Very close. They were so close, she could hear their sharp breathing. Why did this even happen in the first place? Why were those creatures chasing her like this? That didn't matter now. In a few seconds, it wouldn't matter anymore. She was sure, she would be dead before she ever got an answer.

A creature suddenly jumped out of nowhere, standing just in front of her. Now it was all over...The creature leaped forward. Rukia shut her eyes, preparing for the worst possible, but nothing ever happened. She heard a sword stabbing something. She heard blood splattering to the ground, and a ghostly scream, coming from the creature. She opened her eyes, to see an orange-haired woman, drag her sword out of the creature. The creature shattered into dust, and a breeze took the dust away.

The woman, turned to look at Rukia. She had pale blue eyes. "Are you okay?" The woman asked her.

Rukia only nodded. "Who are you?" She asked, taking a defensive stance.

"Dont worry about it Rukia. We're here to help" The woman told her.

Rukia only took one step backwards. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Her eyes were narrow, and the temperature had dropped a little. It was cold enough to make small clouds come from their breaths.

"Control your powers, Rukia" They heard a third voice. A guy was standing just behind Rukia. She hurriedly turned around to look who it was. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight. Standing just behind her was...

"Toshiro?" She couldn't believe it. What was he doing here? She took a defensive stance again. "What is going on?" She demanded.

Toshiro stepped closer. "I told you to make sure to fall asleep, didn't I?" That was all he said to her. He walked over to the orange-haired woman. "I took care of five of the creatures. How many did you kill?"

"Three, sir" The woman replied.

"Good. That leaves only two. You go search for them, while I explain things to Rukia" He ordered.

"Yes, sir" And the woman was gone.

Toshiro turned to Rukia. "Lets go somewhere safer" He took Rukia up, and carried her. He then flashed away. Arriving by a river. He put Rukia down. "You should have fallen asleep"

Rukia had no idea what was going on. She looked at Toshiro firmly. "You said you were going to explain things to me" She said, demanding.

"Yes, I did say I would explain things to you. And that is what I'm intending to do. But not because you so boldly demand it" He was frowning. He settled on the ground, not caring if his clothes got dirty.

Rukia settled on the ground besides him, not caring if her clothes got dirty either. "Who was that woman? And what were those creatures?" She asked, less demanding, but still some hint of it.

"That woman, was Rangiku Matsumoto. She's my partner and subordinate. We hunt those creatures, to save the people who still remain awake at nights" He said, as if it was just a normal thing to do, like, going to school, or feed the dog, or cleaning the house.

"What does it have to do with not falling asleep? Why do they only go after the ones who are awake?" Rukia asked, seeming calm about it. But on the inside, she was just screaming for herself to wake up from this terrible nightmare.

"The creatures of the dark, only hunt people who are awake, because that are the only people they can see. Every tenth night, ten creatures come forth. they can sense the people who still are awake, and go in search for them. If those people fall asleep before the creatures find them, they will be safe. But if they do not fall asleep, they have two options: Keep on running until the sun rises again. Or be killed by the creatures. There is no use in hiding, because the creatures will find them anyway. Maybe it can buy a little time for them to catch their breaths again. But they can't hide forever"

Rukia just remembered something. "Wait. You told me to control my powers. What did you mean by that? What powers?"

Toshiro stood up and gave Rukia his hand. She took it, and was helped on her feet again. "You have great powers Rukia. You have to learn how to control them"

"How do I do it?" Rukia was eager to know.

"Sorry Rukia. Some other time. I have to go" And without any reply of any sorts, he was gone with a blink of an eye.

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**Yes, I'm making this story with several chapters^^ So I hope someone will actually read it until the last chapter...problem is, I don't know how many chapters I might make to this story :P**

**Anyway, I hope you all liked this^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**MizuneMinamiki:** It is a shame that there are so few who like HitsuRuki, and they would be such a cute couple^^ Thank you, I really do need luck with this story^^

**DinieLuvYunho:** Yeah, I guess it is creepy with creatures chasing people who are awake at nights (I actually once thought I saw something move in my room one night, and I turned on the lights to stare right into yellow eyes. I blinked, out of pure reaction, and it was gone. *shivers* And that is how I got the idea to this story^^)

**Miss Delilah 3:** Thank you, that was actually what I was hoping for^^ I'm really glad you loved it, and will read this till last chapter^^ It means a lot to me^^

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**I'm sorry for all my errors :P**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.  
**

Chapter 2.

_The rain poured down on her face, soaking her raven hair and her white dress..._

_The rain soon became snow, and her hands automatically went up in the air, catching the small snow flakes..._

_She pulled back her hands, and a small snow flake was just lying so lonely in her palm, never melting like all the others did..._

_Why didn't it melt?..._

_She dropped the snow flake, and it melted as soon as it touched the ground..._

_Why hadn't it melted earlier?..._

_The ground started to bloom up with a beautiful flower made of ice, right where she had dropped the snow flake..._

_A hand reached out for the flower, and she looked up to see who had taken the beautiful ice flower..._

_His hair was white like the snow that fell..._

_His eyes rivaled even the most beautiful emeralds..._

_He was handing the flower to her, expecting her to take it..._

_She took the beautiful flower..._

_He whispered something in her ear..._

_"The snow will never fail you, always protecting you, never letting you fear again"_

* * *

The raven haired girl, cracked open her amethyst eyes. She sat up in bed. Wait. Bed? She was in her own room. When did she get home? And when had she fallen asleep? She only remembered she was at the river with...Toshiro. She had been running from some creatures, and saved by this woman, whoever she was. Or had it only been a dream?

Speaking of dreams...what was that dream just now?

Letting it pass, she dressed up and walked into the kitchen, where her brother was sitting and eating breakfast. "Good morning brother" She sat on a chair, and a maid instantly came with her breakfast. "Thank you" The maid bowed and went back to do some other chores.

"Did you sleep well, Rukia?" Her brother asked her.

Rukia's mind went back to the creatures. Had it really just been a dream? "Yes. But I had a weird dream" She told her brother. "There were some dark creatures chasing me. And then I was saved by this woman, with orange-colored hair. And Toshiro was there too. He said, I had great powers" Rukia chuckled, thinking it was too weird to be true. She decided it could only have been a dream. And what about that other dream? She didn't really want to mention it, and just kept it for herself.

"I see" Her brother just kept on eating his breakfast. Byakuya knew Rukia had a secret crush on the guy. He didn't mind that too much, as long as he wasn't crushing on her, back. Or he would personally _kill him_!

The raven haired girl's brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, was not a man of many words. He was a noble, and had adopted Rukia into the family. He had a very short temper, but no one knew, because he always managed to keep his cool as long as anyone was nearby. But when alone, things could become more like a volcano erupting.

"I have to make a call" Byakuya raised from the chair and went into his office. Rukia sometimes listened in on the calls he made. But never for long. It was always so boring. But now, she couldn't keep herself from listening in on it. She stood outside the office's door and listened.

"How could you tell her?" She heard her brother say. His voice was a little angry. This peeped up Rukia's interest. She'd had never heard him being angry before.

_"She has a right to know"_ She could hear the person on the other end of the line. He sounded calm about it.

"This was supposed to be kept a secret from her"

_"You can't keep this a secret forever. She has a right to know what she is. I would be furious if someone kept something like that a secret from me"_

Byakuya sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I just want the best for her"

_"I know you do. I will do everything I can to protect her. But she needs to know"_ Rukia had no idea who they were talking about. And who was it her brother was talking to? And what was this secret?

"You better take very good care of Rukia. Or I will personally _kill you_. Do you understand?" Rukia's eyes were wide in surprise. Was it _her_ they were talking about? And who was the person he was talking to? She really wanted to find that out.

_"Dont get so worked up Kuchiki. You know I will give my life to save her's. She is much more worth than I am"_ Rukia kept on getting surprised. And the more she heard, the more she wanted to know this secret.

"I hope for your own good, you are telling me the truth, Hitsugaya" Byakuya raised his voice. And Rukia was almost in shock. Was her brother talking to _the_ Hitsugaya? The one she had a crush on? That couldn't be. Could it?

_"And I hope for _yours_, you will tell her everything, Kuchiki. She really has a right to know. And _you_ should be the one to tell her."_ And a 'click' was heard.

Byakuya put the phone down. "I can't believe the nerve of that insolent brat!" He would never have let anyone seen he lost his cool. It would only make him lose some of his pride. But he could do whatever in his office. This was the only place he could loosen up. He was obsessed with his pride. Everyone who'd met him, knew that. And Rukia was the one who knew the best. She hurriedly ran into the kitchen again and sat down at the table, pretending nothing had happened, and ate the rest of her breakfast.

Her brother walked back into the kitchen, and sat down at the table, not saying a word to Rukia.

"I'm going off to school now, brother" She said, pretending everything was normal. She grabbed her school bag and left.

* * *

She had been early and was walking down the deserted hall in the school, heading for her locker. She reached it and opened it to take out the books she needed. "Is something wrong, Rukia?" She heard a familiar and concerned voice. She looked up into concerned grey eyes.

Rukia closed her locker. "Hey Orihime" She smiled her usual and adorable smile. "I'm fine. Why do you think something is wrong?"

The orange haired girl still was looking at her with concern. "Are you sure?"

Orihime Inoue was the kindest girl Rukia knew. She was not exactly the brightest girl to go to, but she had a heart of gold. She was caring and sweet. And held her friends very dear. She looked like a vulnerable girl. She probably was, but you would be surprised how helping and defensive she could get if she saw someone getting picked on. She just wanted to help, and didn't want to stand in the way for anyone. The most irritating part about her, yet the best, was, she could see when someone was depressed or feeling down, and just wanted to help.

"I'm fine" The raven haired girl assured her friend. Why would anything be wrong? She'd just seen her brother angry and lost his cool. She'd just figured out her brother really wasn't a patient man. What was so wrong about that? Oh well, it could have turned out worse. Right? Of course!

"Excuse me. Can I get by here? Or are the two of you going to block the way?" They heard an irritated voice behind them. Both girls turned, startled. They saw Toshiro looking at them with a slightly irritated look on his face. Rukia blushed, and her body seemed to be too much for her feet to hold. She actually was about to fall over, but Toshiro was fast, and managed to save her from hitting the unforgiving and cold floor. "What the hell, Rukia? Are you still sick?" Toshiro asked, eyes somewhat wide and it still looked like there was a supernatural glow in them, that seemed to slightly radiate more now.

Rukia actually did feel a little warm, yet cold. She shivered a bit. Her body felt heavy, and she didn't really have any strength to stand on her own. Now when she thought about it, this hadn't happened before. First time she'd seen Toshiro, there had not been anything but a very slight blush on her cheeks that would go unnoticed by anyone, even herself. But up until now, it had only become worse when he was around. Was that really possible? Well, supposedly. "I don't feel too good" Rukia managed to slowly whisper, and much to Toshiro's and Orihime's surprise, she fainted.

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**The chapter may be a little short. But I hope you guys still liked it^^**

**Reviews are very welcome^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Guest(1):** Thank you^^ And here's the update for you^^

**darkmoonprincess432:** Thank you^^ Byakuya is someone who finds people who are lost, and has his own office(I forgot what they are called)^^ About Ichigo and Uryu: Ichigo will be mentioned in this chapter, but Uryu will not appear just yet^^

**Guest(2):** Sorry if you had to wait. They wont tell her in exactly this chapter, but soon^^ And here's the update for you^^

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**I'm sorry for all my errors :P**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 3.

Her eyes opened and she was drowsy. She tried to sit up on the bed, but it felt like something heavy kept her down. Where was she anyway? She turned her head to see if she could figure out. "Oh, good. You're awake" She saw a familiar face of a woman, but couldn't really place it.

"Where am I?" The raven haired girl asked. She was trying to sit up and managed just barely. She took a good look at her surroundings. The room was a pale cream color. There was a desk besides the bed with many things that Rukia couldn't really identify what was. There was hanging a curtain over the bed that could be drawn around it to get some privacy. She slowly began to realize where she was.

"You're in my office, miss Kuchiki" The woman, that Rukia had now realized was the school nurse, Retsu Unohana, answered. She was smiling friendly. Her hair was black and hung down in the front in a braid. Sometimes, Rukia wondered how she managed to braid her hair in the front like that. Wasn't it strangling her a bit? It certainly did take the attention from the rest of her.

Rukia suddenly remembered she had talked to Orihime, when Toshiro asked them to move out of the way. That was when everything seemed to darken before her eyes. And now she had awoken in the nurse's office. Had she fainted?

As if the nurse heard the question, she answered. "You suddenly fainted in the hall. It is a good thing your friends were there to help. Have you been eating enough lately? You look so thin" The nurse asked.

Rukia nodded. "I always make sure to eat a healthy meal. Not too much and not too little" Rukia gave her a straight answer.

"That's good. Do you sleep the recommended eight hours at night?" She asked. "It is good to be well rested"

Rukia thought about the dream. It had only been a dream, right? Then she should have slept enough. But what if it wasn't? She just had to try it out. "I usually do, but last night, I couldn't really fall asleep. I exercise too. I've heard it should be good for falling asleep" She told Unohana.

The nurse nodded. "I see. But one night shouldn't cause you to faint like this. Do you take anything?"

The raven haired girl shook her head to the sides. "No. Nothing"

"This is strange. I can't seem to figure out the cause for you fainting like this. Okay, I will have to let you go now. Third period started for just about three minutes ago. I'll sign a note so your teacher will know you've been with me" Unohana began to write a note. She finished and gave it to Rukia. "If this happens again, we have to see if you have some illness of any kind, even if that is unlikely" And with that, Rukia left.

* * *

The raven haired girl, opened the door to her classroom. All the other students were there. And the teacher didn't seem too happy about Rukia being late. Before the teacher could say anything, Rukia gave him the note. "I see. Take a seat" The teacher told her.

Rukia went to the back of the class to sit on an empty chair. All in the front and the middle were taken. They didn't have any particular seats, so they just sat in the chairs that appealed to them, if no one else was sitting there already.

She started to notice, Toshiro was sitting in the middle row closest to the window and Momo was sitting next to him.

Momo Hinamori was the kind of girl, you would see as an innocent and sweet girl. She hadn't been able to get over her last crush for a long time. When he left, She of course, had turned to Toshiro for comfort. She and Toshiro had been friends ever since their childhood. So of course, Toshiro wouldn't turn her down. But what Rukia didn't really like about the girl, was that she had developed a crush on her friend since then. But the worst part, was that it seemed like Toshiro was fond of the girl as well.

Was she really jealous of her?

Without ever paying any real attention to the lesson that was going on, the bell startled Rukia out of her thoughts. Was it already break? She raised from the chair and walked out of the classroom behind all the others.

"Oh, Rukia! I'm glad you're back! You ready for lunch?" Rukia turned to see Orihime behind her.

"Lunch?" Rukia was confused.

Orihime giggled. "Of course! You know we always eat lunch after third period" She had sparkles in her eyes. "Everyone knows that the key to a girl's happiness is food!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

Rukia snickered. Orihime really loved food. But it wouldn't be smart letting her cook, after all, she just ended up cooking the weirdest stuff.

Orihime took Rukia by her wrist. "Come on Rukia! Lets see what we've got in our lunch boxes! Maybe we can exchange some of it!" The orange-haired girl dragged Rukia out in the school's garden where they used to sit and eat their lunch with some other girls in their class.

* * *

"Don't you girls think Ichigo looks handsome today?" Orihime asked all the others with a dreamy smile on her lips.

Tatsuki almost choked on her food. "W-what are you saying, Orihime?!" She stood up. "I'm going to _kill_ that jerk!" She exclaimed with a raised fist.

Orihime only laughed nervously. "Calm down Tatsuki. I was only kidding" She didn't sound too convincing, but Tatsuki let it go and sat back down, mumbling something for herself.

"What about you, Rukia? Don't you have a crush on someone?" Mahana just asked straight out. The girls were all looking at the raven haired girl expectantly.

She almost choked on her food. "W-what?!" She was looking at them all with disbelief.

"So you _are_ crushing on someone"

Rukia blushed. "Am not"

"It's so obvious" Ryo said, with her usual expressionless look, not to anyone particularly.

Orihime looked over to Rukia. "Is that true Rukia? Do you like someone? I can't believe it! My best friend has a crush on someone!" She only earned a glare from Tatsuki. Orihime giggled nervously. "I mean, _one_ of my best friends" She corrected herself. "Anyways I am so happy for you! I want to know who it is! You have to tell me everything! What if it is someone who's really handsome?! Oh and with nice orange and spiky hair! And, and, and with brown eyes!"Orihime exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes and if possible she would soar in mid-air on a pink cloud. "And- Wait. I'm thinking about Ichigo again, aren't I?"

Chizuru suddenly appeared behind Orihime and gave her a firm hug. "You're so cute when you're daydreaming, Orihime!"

Tatsuki looked like she was on fire and had a deadly look in her eyes. "Chizuru! Get off of Orihime!" She punched the poor girl square in the face. "I'm going to _kill you_!"

"So. Tell us who you like, Rukia. Please?" The remaining girls were focusing on Rukia.

Rukia instantly took a large bite at the food she had and chewed it slowly to avoid the question. Should she really tell them? Wouldn't they think she was weird to like a guy like Toshiro? He was after all, the coldest looking guy in the school. But then again, he was cute when taken a good look at. Was it weird calling a guy cute?

"T-Toshiro Hitsugaya" She muttered when she was finished with chewing her food. She had a deep blush on her cheeks.

"We knew it all along" Mahana said. "We just wanted to know if it really was true. Everyone in the class know"

"Mahana!" Michiru tried to get her to not say more.

Rukia had wide eyes, her blush had deepened. "Everyone...know? Does..._he_ know?"

Michiru shook her head to the sides. "No. No one dares to tell him. He's so scary" She shivered a bit. "The only ones who dare speak to him are Kurosaki, Orihime, Hinamori, and you"

"Even I don't dare to speak with him" Ryo said out of nowhere.

Rukia looked to the ground. "He's not that scary. He's nice when you get to know him" She muttered, but no one could hear her.

* * *

His eyes were as cold as ever. His lips never forming a smile, not even the tiniest. But how could he smile? How could his eyes not be so cold? He had taken so many lives, not only the lives of dark creatures. And he was growing numb. He was becoming a monster himself. If not for his friends, he would have become that a long time ago.

He would be a body without a soul. He would be nothing but a mere doll controled by a stupid game, if not for his friends.

He had to deal with being called scary and cold. He had to deal with being called heartless and distant.

It was all just an effect from what he was doing. It was all a nightmare. Rangiku got drunk. That was how she always was so cheery even after those nights. He didn't want to drink his problems away. That was too easy. That was too obvious. All the others, followed her and got drunk.

Byakuya kept Rukia to get those nightmares to disappear. He had his sister. It was her power that kept him safe from going numb. All because of her.

But even under that unbreakable ice, he was still happy. Happy that he still had some friends. Happy that his friends happened to be that kind of friends you can trust your life to. Happy that he still was able to feel. He was still human. He still had feelings.

But it was only a matter of time before that would be entirely gone. Before he would be completely numb.

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**I hope you guys liked it^^ I know I made them all a bit out of character, for the past chapters too, but I really hope you don't mind.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Bree Renee:** Thank you very much^^ I like Ichigo, but I don't really know how to write his personality or anything (nor any of the other characters). I just hope I did a better job than I think.

**wolfseer4life33:** ^^ Yep, Toshiro does have problems, but he's not the only one. You couldn't see any mistakes? That's AWESOME! Thank you very much^^

**Kujo Kasuza Phantomhive:** I guess it was. You will find out what he is^^ Yep, HitsuRuki are so cute^^ And here's the chapter for you^^

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**I apologize for all my errors :P**

**Enjoy^^**

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******Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 4.

She opened the door to the mansion. She was finally home after an embarrassing day in the school. She'd fainted in the school. She'd just found out everyone in her class knew she had a crush on a certain guy. She'd managed to turn down five guys in the school. Why were they even asking her out? She had no idea. Maybe they were dared to?

Letting it pass, she entered the kitchen. "Brother! I'm home!" When she didn't see anyone except two of the maids, she just assumed he would be in his office. She walked up the stairs, into her own room. She let herself fall on the bed and just lay there for a moment.

She suddenly felt like taking a walk. It was a nice day after all. So why not?

* * *

She was going to the ice-cream stand at the end of the street she lived. She always felt better when she had something cold near her. So, why not an ice-cream? It was a sunny day after all. She didn't feel too well in the heat. She'd always prefered winter over the other seasons. And besides, at had been a long time since she last went for an ice-cream.

Maybe that was why she liked Toshiro. He reminded her a little of the ice and snow. But his appearance wasn't the only reason she loved him. She loved everything about him.

The raven haired girl was standing in front of the ice-cream stand now. But much to her disappointment, it was closed. It used to open at this time. Maybe the man was on vacation or something like that?

She turned around to walk somewhere else instead, when she heard someone call for her. She turned again and saw Ichigo running to her. "Hey Rukia" He smiled. He then noticed the empty ice-cream stand. His smile faded. "Oh, were you going to buy some ice-cream?" Rukia nodded.

Ichigo Kurosaki was a great guy. He was a good friend. He was a little slow in his mind, but would catch up quickly again. His will power was amazing. If he decided on something, he would do anything to make it happen. He was protective and strong. His stubbornness was way too much for Rukia sometimes. He would always end up winning if they were arguing about something, unless Rukia could proof him very wrong.

"It's tragic what happened to him" Ichigo brought her back from her thoughts.

She was confused. "What happened to him?" She asked.

Ichigo shook his head to the sides. "Haven't you heard? He has been missing for ten or so days now. They found his body near the forest this morning. He's dead Rukia"

Her eyes widened. "H-he's dead? What happened?"

The orange-haired guy, shrugged. "I don't know. I never found that out"

* * *

There was held a meeting. It was only him and five others. There was a triangular table standing in the middle of the room, two chairs to each of its sides. Yes, it was weird having a triangular table. But that was what they had. Toshiro was sitting next to his partner. Kuchiki was sitting next to his partner, Abarai. And Madarame next to his partner, Ayasegawa.

He was a little annoyed. "It is your fault they found his body, Kuchiki" Toshiro said, having a slight irritated expression on his face.

However, Byakuya was looking calm and collected. "How is it my fault?"

The white-haired guy sighed. "It is your job. Your job is to find the bodies and bring them in, so we can erase all traces of the creatures before bringing it back, so the police can do the rest. If they find out what caused his death, it might make our job harder" He couldn't take that. It was hard enough as it was. "You get paid for what you do as well. People pay you for finding their missing friends and report to them"

Byakuya's face never made any real expression. "I was looking for him. But I couldn't find him. And I know our job might become harder" Byakuya was irritated on the inside, but never showed it. He knew it was his job, but he never really found the body of the man. If only he knew where it had been.

Then Ikkaku decided to talk. "How will it become harder?"

Toshiro looked at him. "It is obvious. Simply because, if they find out such creatures are real, they will not be able to fall asleep because of fear. And that will make it harder for us to protect them. Who knows if not more creatures will appear then as well? And maybe they will decide to attack every night, instead of ten nights between every time"

Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "You think too much, Hitsugaya. Why would they do that?"

Toshiro gave him a cold look. "We have to see all possibilities. I'm not saying it actually will happen, but if it does, we cannot take that chance"

Rangiku hugged him then. "Take it easy, Toshiro. Why is this so much of a problem anyway?"

He pushed the large chested woman off of him. "Don't pretend it isn't hard enough as it is. All of you know what we're going through those nights. Don't think you can fool yourselves by drinking the pain away. You can never truly escape it"

Everyone looked down. They knew he was right. They all were affected by these nights. They were all a part of a painful game. They killed creatures, but even if they were just creatures, they could bleed. Even if they protected people, they were killers themselves. It was like a game of, kill or be killed.

* * *

Rukia and Ichigo had walked around the town for some time, but Ichigo had gone home after some time of walking. Then Rukia, alone, had walked for some time and had arrived by the river. This was where Toshiro had taken her in her dream. Which could only have been a dream. She sat down on the ground exactly the same place as she had been sitting with Toshiro. She didn't mind if she dirtied her clothes.

She could feel a drop fall on her cheek. Was it starting to rain? It had been such a sunny day. She felt more drops on her face. It wasn't too heavy, the rain. It was falling softly from the sky, almost like snow flakes. She felt someone behind her. She turned her head to look who it was. She was surprised to see Toshiro standing there.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" He asked her. He sat down besides her and looked at her as if he had no emotions. It was picking at her nerves. He'd never looked this...dead, before. His eyes still were somewhat glowing.

She shook her head to the sides. "I don't know" She answered his question.

He looked at the river. "The rain is beautiful" He said out of nowhere. "Not many people like the rain. But I think it is peaceful and calming. It is like a melody without a sound" The rain started to grow heavier. "It is sad to see the rain fall. It suits the mood right now, don't you think?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "No matter how hard it is, it can always hide the tears you cry. However, no matter how many times I go out in the rain...it can never wash away the sins I've made"

He shook his head to the sides. "Sorry for talking about the rain like this. Just pretend I never said that"

The raven haired girl looked at him. She didn't understand him. But, at the same time, she did. "Toshiro, what are your parents like?" Rukia asked, not really knowing anything about his family. And maybe because she wanted to find the reason he was so emotionless right now. Could it be because of his parents?

The white-haired guy looked back at Rukia. "You want to know about my parents?" He asked.

"Yes"

He sighed. "There's not much to tell about them" Rukia nodded, getting the hint. Toshiro looked back at the river. "I wonder what they would be like sometimes. I wonder how it would be, having parents. Do you?"

The raven haired girl was surprised by the question. "Sometimes. I heard they died when I was born. They died of some illness"

"I see" The way he said that, was just like the way Byakuya would say.

Rukia opened her mouth, but closed it again. She didn't really know if she should ask the question in her mind. It seemed a bit rude. But, she decided to just ask anyway. "How did your parents die?" Rukia suddenly started to shiver a bit. It was starting to become cold. Usually, she didn't get this cold. She liked the cold weather very much. It was way better than when it was summer and the sun was torturing her. Why was it suddenly being so cold anyway?

Toshiro looked at her in the corner of his eyes. "It was the cold that killed them"

* * *

**Thank you for reading^^ Again, the characters are very OOC.**

**I don't really like this chapter tho, I tried to make it interesting, but it turned out like crap. I'm very sorry. But I hope I didn't disappoint you too much, I will try to make next chapter better^^**

**I thought I should put up a disclaimer too: I do not own any of the characters -except the ice-cream man- that are mentioned in this story. And I do not -even if I wish I did- own Bleach.**


	5. Chapter 5

**wolfseer4life33:** Really? Thank you so much^^ I try hard not to make mistakes, but I'm not very good at english, so I'm never really sure :P And thank you, I just wrote something down and that was what I got^^

**DinieLuvYunho:** Respond, chpt 2: It is okay^^ Now you're back, I'm so glad. Thank you for being so loyal^^ And no, it wasn't a dream. Sometimes, I just see things that are not really there. Many people do.  
Respond chpt 4: I guess it is kinda obvious^^

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**Please note, that I'm not very good at english. There might be some errors. I apologize.**

**Enjoy^^**

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**********Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 5.

The rain began to slowly fade. The two were still sitting near the river. They were a little wet. The raven haired girl, stood up. "Lets go to my place. We can dry up there and maybe get something to eat. What do you say?" She suggested, and held out a hand for Toshiro.

He looked up at her. He took her hand and was helped in his feet. "Are you sure it is okay?"

She smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Your brother and I don't agree very well. I'm not sure he'll be so fond of having me over" He admitted.

She was slightly taken aback. She didn't know Byakuya and Toshiro didn't get along well. Somehow, those two were much alike, yet, they were very different. The look in their eyes was almost the same. Just, Byakuya's eyes never seemed to radiate like Toshiro's did. Byakuya seemed more mature, not that Toshiro didn't seem mature. Her brother was, after all, older.

Comparing them with each other, was maybe a little unfair. No one really wanted to be compared to others. Rukia loved both of them. Byakuya as a brother. Toshiro as a very good friend, and hopefully, more.

He took off a necklace that he had around his neck and hiding under his shirt. "Here" He put it around Rukia's neck. It was a beautiful necklace. It was shaped like a dragon made of silver, that was guarding a butterfly, made of an actual amethyst. She was surprised Toshiro would actually give her something. But why?

She was blushing. "W-why are you g-giving me this?" She stuttered.

He looked at her. "The rain will wash away your nightmares. The snow will protect you. The ice flower will bloom to let you know I'm here for you. I will whisper those words to you whenever you are in danger. Do always make sure to listen. I just want to make sure you're safe. Keep that on at any time. Do not take it off. As long as you keep that necklace, I will always be able to reach you" He turned to leave. "I'm leaving now. See you later, Rukia" He walked away, leaving the blushing girl. But he still looked so...dead.

The rain. The snow. An ice flower. It all sounded familiar to her. Like a dream. Her dream.

* * *

Opening the door to the mansion, Rukia stepped inside. "Brother, I'm home! Again" She said the last word to herself. She walked into the kitchen, finding her brother sitting at the table looking uncomfortable. "Is something the matter, brother?" She asked.

Byakuya looked up from the table. He straightened himself. "Rukia, sit down. We have to talk" He said in a demanding tone.

Rukia sat down at the table opposite of her brother. "What are we going to talk about, brother?" She was curious to know. But she didn't know if it was anything good or bad. Had she maybe done something wrong? Had she been out for too long? But it wasn't that late.

Byakuya sighed. "I need to tell you something, Rukia. You are special" He said. "The dream you told me about this morning, wasn't a dream" Rukia's eyes widened. She knew Byakuya would never lie or tell a joke. He continued. "As Hitsugaya told you, you have great powers"

"What are these powers? How do I make them appear? How do I control them?" She was acting a little eager. But she didn't really care. She knew Buakuya wasn't lying to her. She knew he didn't lie or tell jokes.

Her brother shook his head to the sides. "I'm sorry, Rukia, but I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to ask these questions to. Find Hitsugaya. He can tell you"

Rukia was surprised. She had just been with him. Why didn't her brother just tell her sooner? Then she could have asked Toshiro back at the river. She would've gone right now to ask, if only she knew where Toshiro lived. She'd never been at his place before. The only ones she'd been with in her class, were Ichigo and Orihime.

Wait. maybe Byakuya knew. He seemed to know Toshiro. "Brother, do you know where he lives?"

"No"

Then Rukia had to wait for school tomorrow. "Okay. Thank you anyway." She walked out of the kitchen. She walked into her own room. She was still wet from the rain and needed to change before she caught a cold.

* * *

She'd dressed herself up. She walked over to her large window and looked down to the ground. It was very high down to the ground. She recalled having jumped out of it the other night. but it was so high. She shouldn't have survived a jump like that, or at least gotten hurt. It all went by so fast, she didn't know what she was doing. She had just wanted to get away from those creatures.

She shrugged and let it pass. She was okay and that was what mattered. She wouldn't get to see more of those creatures right now. Toshiro had told her they only came forth every tenth night.

She walked out of her room. She wanted to go out again. She was going to take a walk to the forest. She'd maybe been walking earlier, but right now, she just felt like taking a walk to the forest.

* * *

He was walking near the forest. It was strange, those who were targeted by the creatures, always seemed to run to the forest. Maybe it was because there were so many trees you could hide behind. But he knew better. No one could hide from the creatures. They would always find you in the end.

"Shiro?" He heard a voice from behind.

He turned to look into those familiar big brown eyes, of his childhood friend. "Momo"

She smiled. She took his arm and dragged him along. "Lets have a picnic!" She suggested. "The grass is maybe still wet from the rain, but we can still have fun! Lets go to my house and make some delicious food for us to eat! Then we'll come back here!" She laughed childishly.

He shrugged. "I don't know, I don't really like that you're being so childish. Why can't you be more like Rukia? At least she doesn't drag me along anywhere, asking me to have a picnic with her"

Momo rolled her eyes playfully. She knew he didn't mean anything bad about it. "Come on Shiro! It will be fun! Stop being so boring all the time" She dragged him along. "It will be just like when we were kids!" Was the last thing she exclaimed while dragging the guy with her.

* * *

She was near the forest, when she heard voices. She looked in the direction it was coming from. She saw Momo dragging Toshiro with her. She had a huge basket with her as well. "Come on Shiro! Lets settle down over there!" She heard Momo yell cheerfully, while pointing in some direction.

Toshiro was just helplessly dragged along. "Momo, please, you're ripping off my arm" But the brown-haired girl was too excited to listen. It was making her happy to see them enjoy themselves, but at the same time, she was feeling down as well. She felt jealous. She felt something sting in her heart. She felt so useless and helpless. And she felt so lonely.

* * *

In the distance, one pair of eyes, were set on the three. A satisfied grin was formed on the figure's lips. "Yes little princess, she is taking him away from you. Feel the sorrow creep into the depths of your heart. Let the darkness take over your soul. Let the want to kill her, control you. Take what rightfully belongs to you."

* * *

"Rukia? What are you doing here?" She was brought back from her thoughts when she heard Toshiro's voice. Toshiro was standing about a meter from her, Momo besides him. They were both looking at her.

She quickly put on a smile. "Hello you two. I'm just taking a walk" Well, she wasn't really lying. She had after all, gone out to take a walk. Again.

Toshiro took one step closer. "Momo and I are going to have a picnic. I think it is childish. But, do you want to join us?" He looked at Momo, who was looking at him with disbelieving eyes. "You don't mind, do you?" He asked her.

Momo hesitated a bit before answering. She smiled, but it looked distant and fake. She looked disappointed. "No, of course not. It will be more fun if there are more people. And we have enough food for three" She held out the basket in her hands.

Rukia shook her head to the sides. "No, It is okay. I don't want to ruin your date"

Momo's lips formed into a sly grin. "Too bad" She took Toshiro's arm again and dragged him along.

Toshiro's eyes were wide. "D-date?" Was all he could manage to say before being dragged away by the firm grip of his childhood friend.

Rukia was left behind. She had seen Toshiro was confused about it being a date. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. And of course, Momo would do anything to keep Toshiro for herself. Rukia was mad at herself. She shouldn't be this jealous. She shouldn't feel this way. She shouldn't be this much in love with him. But she couldn't help it. She wished for that girl to just disappear.

* * *

In the distance, the figure was still watching. "It wont be long before the darkness will find its way to your world, little princess" The figure's grin widened. "Dream little princess. Your nights will be safe. But when the time comes, I'll take you away. I will make your darkest wishes come true. I'm merely waiting for you"

* * *

**I'm so sorry for them being so OOC, again. But i really do suck at making them stay in character.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Miss Delilah:** That is okay^^ I don't expect anything from anyone, so I'm always very happy when I do get a review or anything^^ I thank you so much for that^^ And chapter 2 (actually all chapters) is a mess, I know :P But I'm just too lazy to do anything about it. Thank you so much for your review, I'm so flattered^^

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**As in all the other chapters, there might be some errors. And please forgive my bad english.**

**Enjoy ^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 6.

The picnic was awkward for him. He had no idea eating could feel this awkward. Maybe it wasn't the food. But the girl? He looked up at his childhood friend. "Momo, do you feel awkward?" He asked her.

The brunette was a bit surprised to hear that question. "No, why do you ask, Shiro? Isn't it nice sitting here with me?" She looked unsure.

He only looked away, considering it himself. It had always been nice to just be alone with Momo and being on a picnic with her, even if he never would admit that. But right now, he wasn't so sure. This felt different somehow. Maybe it was because of what Rukia'd said? He didn't know why he felt uncomfortable about it. He liked Momo very much, so why would it bother him thinking about this as a date? And Momo hadn't argued with it either. Maybe she wanted it to be a date? He shoved that thought away. There was no way Momo would want that.

"Is something wrong, Shiro?" He snapped back from his thoughts.

He looked up at Momo again. She looked worried. And maybe a bit hurt? "No. I'm fine"

* * *

She was home again. She felt so stupid. Just accusing them of going on a date. She could blow up on herself. But the way Toshiro had been confused, somehow got her to calm herself down again. Maybe Toshiro wasn't interested in Momo that way? Just the thought was enough to get her hopes up a bit. She knew, she was acting selfish, but she really couldn't help it. She wanted him. She loved him. It was just crazy.

But something made it feel like she had been watched at the forest. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. Maybe it was nothing and she just imagined things?

It suddenly started to ring on the doorbell. "I'll get it!" She told the maids. Normally, she would let a maid open the door, but she thought the maids shouldn't do everything in the house, even if they got paid for it.

She walked over to the door and opened it. "Oh, hi Orihime" She smiled to the orange-haired girl. "Come on in"

Orihime smiled. She stepped into the house. "Hey Rukia. I hope you don't mind me coming over, unannounced. It's always lonely back home. I would have called, but the phone was dead. I always forget to pay my bills" She bumped herself on the head with her hand. "Silly me" She laughed.

Orihime was living on her own. Her parents abandoned her. She used to have a brother named Sora, who took care of her when her parents abandoned them. But he died in an accident. She worked in a café to get the money she needed. Rukia had offered her to help with money issues if she needed it and Byakuya didn't mind it. Sometimes, Rukia helped her at the café to give her some company since she hadn't gotten used to the other employees there. Though, she was beginning to get along with two girls named Loly and Menoly.

"It is always good to see you Orihime" Rukia laughed.

* * *

Orihime and Rukia were sitting on the bed in Rukia's room, talking about boys in their class. "Uryu is smart. Chad is a nice guy. Ulquiorra is hot. But I still think Ichigo is the best looking one of them" Orihime complimented. "What about you? Which guys do you like best?"

Rukia laughed. "Ichigo is a good friend. But I still prefer Toshiro"

The orange-haired girl noticed the necklace Rukia had around her neck. "Oh, wauw! That necklace is so beautiful!" She squealed. "Where did you get that!? I've never seen a necklace like that before!"

Rukia held up the necklace's silver pendant before herself. She noticed, the dragons eyes were made of rubies. She was sure it wasn't like that before. But she still liked it very much. "Yeah, it is beautiful, isn't it?" She remembered Toshiro giving it to her. "I don't really know where you can get a necklace like this. Toshiro gave it to me" She told the amazed girl.

Orihime let out a gasp. She had sparkles in her eyes and squealed. "Oh, Rukia! Don't you see it!? If he gave that to you, he has to like you!"

Rukia had never thought about that. "You really think so?" She asked, while blushing a bit.

"Of course!" Orihime assured her. "Why would he give you such a beautiful necklace if he doesn't like you? He _has_ to be in _love_ with you! You two would make such a cute couple! And maybe you could teach him to smile some" She winked.

Rukia wasn't so sure though. He gave her the necklace to keep her safe. Or that was what he'd told her. But how could a necklace keep her safe? Safe from what exactly? The creatures? And why would Toshiro want her to be safe? She gripped around the pendant and closed her eyes _"What is this necklace for?"_

**_"Rukia, I told you what it's for. It is, so I always am able to reach you. Remember to keep it on at any time"_**

Her eyes shot up. She looked around surprised. That was Toshiro's voice. It sounded like he was in the room with her. But she couldn't see him anywhere. Had she just imagined it?

Orihime noticed that her smaller friend was surprised by something and was looking around as if she was searching for something. "What is wrong, Rukia? Are you looking for something?"

Rukia directed her attention to her large chested friend. "No. It is nothing. Just a fly" She lied.

Orihime giggled. "I didn't know you were that interested in flies"

The raven haired girl, couldn't help but smile at that comment. She giggled too. It was nice having Orihime there. She always was good at making Rukia laugh at the simplest things.

"Oh, no!" Orihime panicked as she looked at the clock that hung over Rukia's desk. "Look at the time! I better get going home! We have school tomorrow!" She stood up too fast. She put a hand to her head "Oh, now I'm dizzy" She quickly got over it and looked at Rukia, a sad look on her face.

Rukia was surprised to see her always enthusiastic friend like that. "What's wrong Orihime?" She asked her.

Orihime only gave her a sad smile. "It's nothing. I was just thinking how lonely it will be when I get home. I just wish I had someone there, waiting for me" She quickly tried to shake it off. "Oh, what am I saying? This is not like me at all" She laughed, but a bit pitifully.

Rukia couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She suddenly got a great idea. "Orihime, why don't you just stay the night over? We'll just get another bed in my room. Besides, our house is closer to the school anyway. We can go there together"

Orihime seemed a bit surprised. "Stay the night over? But, is that okay with Byakuya? And how about my school uniform and all that?"

Rukia waved it off. "Don't worry about that. I'll just ask my brother if you can stay the night over. If he allows it, we'll just send a maid over to get the stuff you need" She told her.

The orange haired girl brightened up. "Okay" She smiled.

* * *

Rukia knocked on the door to her brother's office, knowing he would be there. "Come in" She heard her brother's voice from the other side of the door. She opened the door and entered.

"Hey, brother. I was just wondering if it is okay if Orihime stays the night over?" She asked. "I know there's school tomorrow, but we can send a maid to gather her stuff. Then she doesn't have to go home before going to school"

Byakuya looked up at his sister. She looked as if she really wanted her friend to stay. He sighed. "Fine. But you girls better go to sleep right away and don't be noisy. I'm busy with a job right now" He went back to work on whatever he'd been working on.

Rukia smiled. "Thank you, brother. And we'll do our best not to bother you" Rukia knew Byakuya would allow it. Even if he never showed it, Rukia knew he always was happy if she was happy. And that was one of the reasons she loved her brother so much. She left the office and closed the door. She went back to her room to tell Orihime she could stay.

* * *

A maid had been over at Orihime's house and gathered the stuff Orihime needed and two other maids had carried a bed into Rukia's bedroom. That there were two beds in the room, didn't say much, because Rukia's room was large. There was still much space left.

Now, the two girls were preparing themselves to go to bed. They had already changed into pajamas. Rukia had a yellow one and some chappy slippers. Orihime had a blue one. They were in the bathroom that was in Rukia's room, brushing their teeth and washing their faces. Orihime looked at Rukia, a smile on her face. "Thank you for letting me stay. Now it wont feel so lonely"

The smaller girl smiled back. "You're welcome"

Both went back to the beds and lay down to get some sleep. "Good night, Rukia" Orihime said.

"Good night, Orihime" Rukia replied. The taller girl pulled the covers close to her head. A big smile on her face. She was happy to hear someone answer to her wishes of a good night.

* * *

**Thank you for reading it^^ This is the last time I'll say it, the characters are OOC, sorry.**


	7. Chapter 7

**darkeyesgirl:** Thank you, I'm glad you do^^

**Miss Delilah:** Thanks a lot for saying they aren't that OOC, it actually makes me get some hope in actually being able to write them in character, maybe I'm getting better? Well...I can only hope. Thanks a lot for your review^^

**Guest:** Of course^^

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**May be some errors.**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 7.

The sound of the alarm clock on her night stand, woke Rukia up. She glanced over to the other bed in the room and saw Orihime sitting on it. Her back turning to Rukia. She was humming. And was already dressing herself up.

Rukia pressed the button on the alarm clock to make it stop that terrible noise. She lazily sat up in the bed and started dressing herself up as well. "Good morning, Rukia" Orihime said when she had turned to her smaller friend.

Rukia smiled at her. "Good morning Orihime. You seem to be in a good mood"

Orihime smiled back. "Yeah! I'm just happy to have such a great friend!" She beamed.

Rukia laughed. She finished dressing herself up. "You ready for breakfast?" She asked. Orihime nodded happily.

* * *

Something was missing. "Where is Byakuya?" Rukia asked a maid, as they were eating breakfast.

The maid bowed respectfully. "The master has not returned from his office, miss. He is still working. He has worked all night"

"I see" Rukia went back to eat her breakfast and the maid went back to do some chores.

Orihime felt bad for Rukia. If she hadn't been there, Rukia would have been eating breakfast alone. "Is he often busy?" She asked.

Rukia looked at Orihime and saw the concern in those grey eyes of her taller friend. "Some times. But don't worry about it. I understand. He needs to find people who are lost. It often takes a lot work" She tried to smile. Orihime still had that concerned look. She knew how it was to be lonely. The difference was, that she was truly alone in her house, but Rukia still had her brother around, but he wasn't _really_ around.

* * *

They were in the hall in the school at their lockers and Orihime was blushing, the way Rukia would blush when she saw Toshiro. Orihime had her eyes on a certain guy further down the hall talking to some guys from their class in front of his locker. "Oh, Rukia. I just wish I could tell him how I feel. Can't you just imagine it? Me and Ichigo as an old couple, sitting on a bench in the park, feeding the lovely doves together. Wouldn't that be romantic?" She had sparkles in her eyes and was sighing dreamily.

Rukia laughed. "You're hit pretty hard with a love arrow, Orihime" She joked.

Orihime only sighed some more. "I just wish it wouldn't only be in my dreams"

They suddenly heard a voice behind them. "Could you two move out of the way?" They turned to see Toshiro standing behind them and Rukia blushed. Both moved to let him get to his locker which was just besides Rukia's. "Thanks" He muttered. He opened the locker and took out some books he would be needing.

He then closed the locker again and noticed that Rukia was staring at him with a blush on her adorable face. "Are you sick again or something? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"I-I'm fine" Rukia stuttered. She felt a bit stupid. "Guess I've been hit hard as well" She whispered for herself. "But I wish Toshiro would see how I feel about him"

There suddenly came a guy shoving Toshiro out of the way and was standing just in front of Rukia. "Asshole" Toshiro muttered.

The guy was just glaring at him. Toshiro only had to glare back and the guy felt a shiver going up his spine. The guy turned to Rukia. "So, what are you doing with that loser? He's not worth your time, babe. He's way too scary looking. Why don't you go out with the real thing?" He was pointing a thumb at himself, while flashing a goofy looking smirk.

Rukia narrowed her beautiful amethyst eyes. "Get out of my sight, jerk! What the hell do you think you're doing just pushing people around!? Would you like it if I called you a loser and shoved you out of my way, jackass!? I would never even consider going out with a pig like you!" Rukia yelled at the guy.

The guy gritted his teeth. He walked away, embarrassed. Toshiro turned to Rukia. "You've got an audience" He told her while secretly pointing towards all the people who had gathered around them. "Just thought you should know" He shrugged. He was about to leave, but Rukia managed to stop him.

"Wait" He turned to look at her. Waiting for her to say something. "Uhm, could you meet me at the river after school? I want to ask you something" She whispered so no one would hear it.

"I'll meet you there then" He walked away to class.

Rukia just dumbfounded was looking the way Toshiro had left. She was snapped out of it when she heard Orihime's voice. "Rukia, let's go to class. People are looking at us" She felt uncomfortable under all those eyes.

The shorter girl nodded. And they went to class. What a start.

* * *

In class, the teacher was talking about a new student. "Be nice to him. You may enter now" A guy entered the classroom. His hair was red and tied into a tail, making it look more like a pineapple. He was even wearing a white headband. He was covered in tattoos, which were oddly looking like a continuation from his eyebrows. "Yo" He waved with his hand. "I'm Renji Abarai" He introduced himself.

The teacher tried her best to keep smiling, mostly because his way of being, was awkward for her. "Sit down next to Hitsugaya" She smiled with her obviously fake smile and gestured to the empty seat next to the white-haired guy. "Unless, of course, you want to sit somewhere else?" She asked.

Renji looked at Toshiro for some time, then at the teacher. "No, it's fine. I'll sit next to Hitsugaya" He made his way over to Toshiro. And sat down next to him. They started to talk between each other, but Rukia couldn't really hear what they were saying. She was wondering what it was about?

* * *

The school had felt like ages since this was the moment she had waited for the entire time. She was waiting at the river. She was waiting for Toshiro to show up. Which felt like ages as well.

She finally spotted him walking towards her. She couldn't help but smile to herself. "What is it you wanted to ask me?" Toshiro asked her, cutting into the case right away.

Rukia looked away from him and at the river. "Do you remember when you saved me from those creatures?" She asked.

Toshiro raised a brow. "Yeah, except, it was Rangiku who saved you, not me"

She let out a sigh. "Thanks for ruining it, idiot" She sat down on the ground. "The point is, you took me here to explain some things to me. You told me about the creatures. And you told me I had some great powers and I needed to learn how to control them" She looked at Toshiro. "Can you teach me how to do it?"

Toshiro sat down next to her. "I can only teach you how to control them, but if you want to use them, you have to find your soul image within yourself. Only by finding it, you can fully master your powers. That is, if that's what you want"

Rukia was certain she wanted it. "I do" She said, determined about it.

"Then I will help you. But not today. I just don't feel like it today. Maybe tomorrow if you don't have anything to do?" He asked.

She nodded. She suddenly got a bit curious. "Uhm, I noticed that you talked to the new guy in the school. Do you know him?" She couldn't help but ask.

Toshiro sighed. "Yeah, in fact I do. He's your brothers partner and subordinate. We talked about your brother actually. It seems like your brother does not trust me and he's making Renji attend school, just to be safe"

Rukia was confused. "Trust you to do what?"

"Never mind that. All you need to know, is that you have to be careful. Even if the creatures only hunt ten nights between each time, there are some that can be out in daylight and come forth whenever they like. But they like to keep in the shadows and do not attack before they are completely sure they have their target right where they want them" He looked in the direction the forest was. "They mostly lurk around in the forest, so I would recommend that you don't go there alone"

The girl gulped. "I will stay away from the forest and I will definitely not go there alone" She assured him.

"I'm sorry if I scared you by telling you this, Rukia. But I can't risk that you go out there by yourself and end up taken. Though, don't worry too much about it. It is rare that they do attack at all. I just thought you should know about it, in case that would ever happen" He tried to make her less frightened, but he did not lie.

Rukia just wanted to change the subject now. "Uhm, anyway, can you believe that guy from the hall! He was being a complete idiot!" She smirked satisfied. "But I showed that jerk. I really made him embarrassed" Her smirk faded into confusion. "But I still don't get why that guy would want me to go out with him? Why would he want that?"

Toshiro looked at her. "Rukia, you're being clueless" He stood up. "You're the most beautiful girl anyone could ever lay their eyes on. You're smart and has a great personality. So who wouldn't want to be with a girl like you?" Rukia's eyes widened and she got a mad blush on her cheeks. But before she could say a word, Toshiro was already gone, as if he had just disappeared.

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters -Ecxept the asshole- that are mentioned in this chapter. Neither do I own Bleach in any way. Only this story is mine.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter^^**


	8. Chapter 8

**Miss Delilah:** Renji the red pineapple, of course^^ They'll get to the kissing part, I just don't know when?

**ruka:** Thank you^^ I'm sorry you had to wait.

**Chinguchan:** Welcome aboard!^^ I'm glad you enjoyed it^^ And I'm sorry for my late update.

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**I am terribly sorry for my late update.**

**Errors are most likely to be found. Sorry for my bad English.**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 8.

_Nothing but darkness was flowing in the air. The ground was pitch black. She was standing in the middle of it all. "Princess" She could hear a voice call on her. Then two deep, glowing, yellow eyes were staring right at her from the shadows. His ghostly white teeth were showing an evil grin. "Princess, you let him fall. He will never come back now. You were too blind, and let him fall"_

_Her amethyst eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"_

_An image of the white-haired boy she was so in love with, appeared before her. He looked paler than usual, and his eyes were empty from any sign of life at all. He looked like a dead doll. Chains were coming from the floor, and wrapped around his body. "You never knew he was gone. If you only had listened to him, you could have saved him. But you chose to trust the fake. He is dead because of you"_

_She couldn't take anymore. The sight of him in that state was enough for her. Being told that it was her fault he was like this, was unexplainable. There were so many feelings spinning around in her heart. She felt like she was going to faint any second. She couldn't take it. And just as she thought she'd seen the worse, his face began to crack like a porcelain doll. "Open your eyes, Rukia" He said with a dead voice before being dragged down into the black floor by the chains. Taken away for eternity._

* * *

Her amethyst eyes shot up. "No!" She yelled with all her might. Maids came rushing into the room, clad in their nightdresses, and were prepared for anything. But didn't find anything out of the ordinary, except that Rukia looked like she had seen a ghost or something even worse. She was pale and sweaty. She looked sick.

One of the maids hurried to Rukia's side. "What's wrong, miss?" She put a hand to her forehead, checking her temperature. "You're burning! You should lay back to sleep!"

Rukia was completely out of it. She took the maid's arm firmly and looked her deep in the eyes with a very scared look on her face. She started to stutter in panick. "T-Toshiro. H-he...you m-must help h-him!" She let go of the maid and stood up as fast as she could, but it had been a bad idea as her head got heavy, and everything started to spin around her. When everything finally began to clear before her eyes, she leaped for the door. "I have to find him!"

But before she could get to the door, a maid blocked the way. "Miss, please. You have to go back to bed. It is not a good idea to run around when you are sick" She took Rukia by the arm and led her to the bed. After some struggling, Rukia finally was too tired to struggle any more against her surprisingly strong maids. They went out of the room again and guarded the door so they were sure, Rukia wouldn't run off the first chance she got. Byakuya wouldn't like that.

Rukia sat on the bed. She was holding the pendant firmly in her hand. _"Toshiro, please tell me you are okay"_ She pleaded.

_**"Rukia? Is something wrong?"**_ She heard his voice again, just like the last time. But now she was sure it was the necklace that made this possible.

She was so relieved to hear his voice. _"Toshiro. I had a horrible dream. I can't let that happen to you! Not ever"_

_**"What was your dream about? Tell me everything"**_ He sounded worried about it.

This made Rukia anxious. She started to tremble. _"It was so dark. Then there were these yellow eyes. He said it was all my fault. He said, if I had listened...Toshiro...I saw you...I saw you being trapped by some chains. I saw...I saw...you were dead. And it was all my fault. It seemed so real. Please don't die...please don't die"_ She pleaded.

There was silence for some time, before Toshiro spoke again. _**"Rukia, we all eventually die. How and when we die, is not our choice, unless you're crazy and commit suicide. Don't think too much about it, it was just a dream"**_ That were the last words he said to her.

* * *

"It's wonderful!" Orihime cheered as she spun around with glitter dazzling off of her. "This is the most delicious cake I've ever made! You have to try it!" She took a spoonful of the cake and showed it in the poor black-haired girl's mouth.

Tatsuki got a bit green on her face. She felt like throwing up. "This cake is-" She stopped right there and saw Orihime's sparkling grey eyes looking expectantly at her. She smiled nervously and scratched the back of her head. "Uh, it's good, Orihime" She lied.

They were in the middle of their cooking classes. They were making desserts. Toshiro had no idea why girls got so excited about cooking. He only took this class because Momo had _begged_ him to. He could have chosen something else instead. He just couldn't say no to Momo, but there was no way in hell he would admit that. Besides, Rukia was in this class as well, so he didn't really mind being here. But she hadn't come to school today. The teacher had said her brother had called, and told them she was lying in bed with a horrible fever.

It worried him. And the dream she'd told him about, wasn't exactly making him calm. "E-excuse me" He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at one of his classmates. It was one of the girls Rukia used to eat lunch with. Michiru. "C-can I...uhm..,b-borrow some e-eggs?" She stuttered out the question, and was fiddling nervously with her fingers. "N-no one else have e-eggs"

He noticed how nervous and scared she looked. Was he really that scary? He didn't want this. He hated to see her like this. They all were like this when they saw him. "Sure" He said and handed her the eggs. She took the eggs and ran away without another word. He looked at her run away. He sighed. "I'm not a monster you know" He whispered for himself. They all ran away from him.

He felt someone walk behind him. He turned to see Renji look at the girl in confusion. "Dude, she has some serious problems" He said. "What was that all about?" He asked. Renji was in this class as well. He was only in this class because Rukia was. Toshiro had no idea why Byakuya didn't trust him to protect Rukia by himself.

"They are all afraid of me" Toshiro answered, with a bored tone. He sounded like he didn't really care about it, but on the inside, he hated it.

Before Renji could say anything about it, Ichigo came over. "Hey. Toshiro, do you have some sugar? No one else has sugar. That's the first thing that disappears in this class" He was only taking the class because Keigo had whined and begged him to take it with him. And because Mizuiro had refused.

Then Keigo came over, holding the sugar bag in his arm and ate out of it with a spoon. "Ichigo, I bet you can't eat as much sugar as I can" He said. Everyone knew Keigo was only taking the class because most of the girls were in this class. Ichigo looked at him with a scary look on his face. Keigo started to sweat. "I-Ichigo? A-are you alright?"

Ichigo roared and started to run after him. "So _you_ were taking all the sugar!" He yelled at Keigo while Keigo was running away with all his might, screaming like a girl. "Oi! Get back here!" Ichigo yelled. They ran around the school's kitchen until Ichigo finally caught up to Keigo. Oh the drama in the cooking classes.

Momo came walking over to Toshiro, smiling. She had some chocolate muffins, and some blueberry muffins on a tray in her hand. "Shiro, can you please try one of each and tell me which one you like better?" She asked him. She had a faint blush on her cheeks. Toshiro sighed and did as the girl had asked him to.

Renji was observing them and was grinning like a fool. When Momo left, he pushed lightly to Toshiro. "Not everyone are afraid of you. She really likes you" He said.

Toshiro just gave him a side way glance, and looked at Momo, who had started a conversation with the other girls. "No. She just wanted me to taste her dessert. She likes getting compliments. She knows she's good at it" He didn't like the thought about her _really liking_ him.

Renji rolled his eyes at his denial. He was about to say something, when suddenly Orihime came running over to them and was staring with amazed eyes, at a cake, standing on the table Toshiro used. It was round in shape. It was clad in chocolate, and powdered sugar was strewn over it. The last thing, were three tiny, but beautiful flowers, made of blue fondant, lying so innocently on the cake. "Mmm, that looks so yummy!" Orihime beamed.

The white-haired boy looked at the cake in question. He never realized he'd baked while he'd been thinking and talking. "Where did that come from?"

Renji had to roll his eyes once more. He'd seen Toshiro bake it while they were talking. "Dude, you baked it"

Toshiro put his hand on his hip. He was frowning. "That's impossible. I can't bake"

Both Renji and Orihime looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

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**I know it's not very nice to give you something this crappy after such a long wait.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. If I did own Bleach, don't you think Rukia and Toshiro _at least_ held hands in the manga and the show about now?...According to how slow I'm going with them, you could think that. But I still don't own Bleach!**

**Hope you liked the chapter^^...Even though it's crappy, and nothing special really is going on.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wintersia:** I'm glad you like it^^ And I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner. Thank you for the review^^

**Kuroitsuki. Yurei:** I'm really glad you like it^^ And here's the update for you^^ Thank you for the review^^

**Miss Delilah:** Thanks for saying that^^ I don't really think I'm that talented, but if you say so I gotta be he he(Only building up my confidence^^) Thank you for the review^^

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**I am sorry this update took so long.**

**Please forgive me for any errors you find and my bad english.**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 9.

Rukia was sitting on the bed, bored to no end. She wasn't allowed to go out of her room. She'd thought about crawling out of the window, but it was too high. If only she knew how she got out of it when the creatures were after her. She let out a sigh. She looked at the soup that was standing on her nightstand. The maids had brought it to her, but she hadn't eaten it yet. They believed she had a fever, but she felt perfectly fine. It had only been because of the nightmare she had, that she'd felt sick. A nightmare like that, was just horrible enough to make her want to puke. She hoped she never would get a nightmare like that ever again.

She began to hear some tapping on her window. She looked over to it, but couldn't see because of the closed curtains. The maids had forgotten to draw them. She stood up and went over to draw the curtains. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. She saw that familiar white and spiky hair. Toshiro. He was just outside her window. How had he gotten all the way up there? She opened the window. "Toshiro, what are you doing here? And how did you get all the way up here?"

Toshiro crawled inside to her bedroom. "Never mind that. I missed you in school today. Sorry to intrude like this by the way. I just had to see how you were feeling. Are you better now?"

Rukia nodded. She smiled. She was glad he cared about her enough to check on her. "Don't worry, I'm fine. It was just a bit to begin with. The maids were overreacting. I could have gone to school no problem. I'm glad you came. It was getting really boring. They wont let me get out of my room" She looked at the window behind Toshiro. "But, why didn't you come through the door instead?"

Toshiro shrugged. "It was a faster way to get to you. Besides, I don't really feel like meeting anyone else in this house. No offence though" The girl nodded. She looked down at herself, and noticed she was only wearing her yellow pajamas. She blushed and wrapped her arms around herself. She was only wearing her pajamas in front of Toshiro. That was so embarrassing. She hurried to the bed and wrapped herself in the covers. "Are you cold?" Toshiro asked her, confused why she suddenly just hurried to pull the covers over her.

Her blush deepened, and she just nodded, not wanting to point out the embarrassment. Toshiro raised a brow. He sighed. "It doesn't look to me you're fine. You're cold, and you're flushed. You may really be sick" He walked over to her and put his hand on her forehead. "You're not hot" He took back his hand and looked at the slightly more flushed girl. "But just to be safe, you should get some rest. And get something to eat. When you're better, we can teach you how to control your powers. It's probably best if I go" He walked over to the window.

But Rukia managed to jump out of the bed and grab his arm before he left. "No wait! Don't go! Please stay?" He turned to look at her in surprise. "I'm not cold" She admitted and blushed a bit. "It's just because I'm wearing a pajamas, and it's kind of...embarrasing" Her blush deepened as she actually admitted it to him. Now her entire face was flushed in embarrassment.

Toshiro raised a brow. "So? It's not like I can see anything. If you're that embarrassed with it, you could always change into something else" He suggested.

Rukia let go of his arm. "Will you wait here then?" She asked.

Toshiro noticed the almost pleading look in her eyes. He didn't want to disappoint her. And it was not like he had anything better to do. "Alright, I'll wait"

The raven haired girl brightened a bit up at that. "Thank you" She said with an adorable smile on her lips, and went into the bathroom in her room.

While she was changing, he looked around in her room. He'd never been in her room before, even if they were very good friends. But it was mostly his fault. She had invited him several times to go to her house, but he had always declined. It was because of Byakuya. He knew the man wasn't specially fond of him. He knew he was very protective of Rukia. Toshiro only wanted to protect her too.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts and went back to look at the room. It was huge. The walls were white, pretty normal for a room. White made a room look bigger, but as huge as this room was, he doubted it would look small if the walls were black or some dark color.

The bed was large too. It was simple though, only a normal bed with white sheets and covers. There was a lot of white in her room. There was a body long mirror hanging on the wall. There were some pictures sticking to the frame of it. There were three pictures of Rukia and Orihime goofing around with the camera together. Then there was a picture of Byakuya, sitting at his desk in the office, but one thing was off with him, he actually was smiling. Toshiro knew he wasn't heartless, but he'd never seen him with the slightest smile on his lips. He knew he shouldn't be one to judge or anything. He never smiled himself. But he wasn't capable of it. He'd never had that ability.

"I'm done" Rukia walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a brown, almost golden skirt, fading into purple at the ends. She was wearing a long, purple top with a black, loose, net-blouse over it. She had two silver bracelets around her wrist. The silver necklace she'd gotten from Toshiro was hanging around her neck. "Thank you for waiting" She smiled. She walked over to him, seeming to think about something. "Toshiro?"

"Hmm?" He looked at her, waiting for her to say something.

Rukia blushed a bit. "Did you really mean what you said by the river yesterday?" She asked, thinking back to where he'd said things she never would have imagined him to say. Not even in her dreams. He wasn't exactly the type to give compliments, and she knew that very well.

He raised a brow. "You're talking about what I told you when you asked why that guy would be interested in you, right?" Rukia nodded. Toshiro shrugged. "I only told you as it is. You're smart. You're beautiful. You have a great personality. And you're rich. It is easy to love you as you are. What guy wouldn't go for that? But you don't let anyone in. That's the only problem for them" Toshiro only stood and explained it to Rukia, as if he was spilling out facts. "If they manage to get you, they have gained _everything_. And it's worth a shot, if not many, for them to ask you out"

Rukia was blushing. But she was disappointed too. She was disappointed because he referred to the _other_ guys. Why couldn't he say those words on his own behalf? That was all she wished for.

Maybe it was about time to tell him how she really felt about him. Maybe she should say it now. But she was nervous to get his reply. Maybe he only wanted to be her friend, and she would ruin everything by telling him. No, she shouldn't think such things. Why would he hate her for getting feelings for him? That would just be stupid and childish. He was neither of those two. "Toshiro, I-" She was just about to say it, when they heard knocking on the door.

Both of them looked at the door. Toshiro was fast to get to the window, about to jump out. "I have to go, see you later, Rukia" And he jumped.

Rukia hurried to run over to the window and looked out, only find that Toshiro had disappeared, again. She was just about to yell out his name, when she heard one of the maids call, sounding worried._"Miss, are you in there?"_ Rukia looked over to the door again, she closed the window, and went for the door to open it, finding one of her maids standing outside. "Oh, it's good to see you doing so well already. You even got dressed" The maid smiled, relieved. "Oh, I almost forgot. This young woman is here to see you, miss" She referred to Orihime who was standing next to her, smiling widely.

The raven haired girl, let a soft smile cross her lips. "Hey, Orihime"

"Hello, Rukia. I brought some cake with me from our cooking class today" She held out a basket in her hand. "It was really fun. It's a shame you were sick and couldn't come" Orihime stepped inside the room, and the maid left the girls alone. Orihime took the cake out of the basket. To Rukia's surprise, it looked really delicious. Not like the usual weird cakes Orihime used to bake. Orihime cut the cake and gave Rukia a piece. "You should try it. It's really good" She smiled.

Rukia actually dared to eat it this time. She took the piece from Orihime. "Thank you" She bit down it. It was as if her world just became way sweeter and happier. It was surprisingly delicious. "Wow, Orihime, it's really good. Did you really make this?" She asked.

Orihime giggled. "Actually, Toshiro was the one who made it" Rukia's eyes widened. "After making it, he just gave it to me. He says he doesn't know how to bake, but it's really good. I tasted it myself. He should become a professional baker or something! The girl who ends up with him, is going to be the luckiest girl alive! After all, the key to a girl's happiness is food!" She went on and on. Untill at end she stopped herself, and looked at Rukia, giggling a bit at herself. "Sorry, about my blabbering" She scratched the back of her head. "Anyways, I meant to give the cake to you. Since Toshiro was the one who made it, I thought you should have it. I know how much you like him"

Rukia smiled at Orihime. "Thanks, Orihime. You're a great friend"

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters. Kubo-sama wouldn't be known for it of I did.**

**Thank you for reading. And if you like, please do review^^**


	10. Chapter 10

**Kochou:** Hihi, lets see how long it will take for him to figure that out. And here's the update for you^^ Thank you for the review^^

**MizuneMinamiki:** I'm glad you were excited about it^^ I hope I didn't disappoint you too much tho...Sorry, but I don't really get what you mean about the periods...And thank you for saying you don't think my English is bad, that means a lot^^ Thank you for the review^^

**Wintersia:** Thank you so much for saying that^^ And sorry it takes ages to get them together, but I sort of have a plan something should happen before they get together. Until then, I hope you can deal with the small HitsuRuki-friendship I put you guys up with^^ Thank you for the review^^

**eldiva:** here's the update for you, thanks for the review^^

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**Sorry about my errors.**

**Enjoy^^**

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**Sleepless nights.**

Chapter 10.

Rukia was staring at the cake in her hands. She just couldn't believe Toshiro actually had made it. She was in the cooking classes with them, and had never seen Toshiro do much. The most he did, was helping Momo a bit with her stuff. She knew he only took the cooking classes because Momo had asked him to. Would he do something like that for _her_ if she asked him? She couldn't help but let the thought come to mind. She looked up at the busty girl in front of her. "Toshiro was here before you came" She told her. "And I...was about to confess to him" She admitted.

Orihime's eyes widened, and she swore the girl was sparkling. "Really!?" She said with an over cheery voice. "You confessed to him!? What'd he say!? Are you two a couple now!? Oh this is wonderful!" She cheerfully hugged Rukia.

Rukia had no time to interrupt her cheerfulness before the busty girl at end hugged her. Rukia sweatdropped. "No, Orihime, you got it all wrong. I was _about_ to confess to him. But the maid knocked on the door before I could. And he left" She explained.

The orange-haired girl let go of Rukia. She clasped her hands before her own mouth. "Oh no! This is all my fault! I should have come later. I'm so sorry, Rukia" She bowed in apology. She truly was sorry about it. "I ruined everything"

Rukia only smiled to her. "Don't be sorry, Orihime. You didn't know. Besides, it probably was best I didn't get to confess yet. It was too fast"

Orihime looked at her in confusion. "Too fast? How can it be too fast? The two of you are really good friends. You two have a strong relationship. You would die for him, wouldn't you?" She asked. Rukia was surprised. She gave the girl a small nod, affirming her question. "See? I just know he would do the same thing for you. After all, your friendship is greater than the one he has with Momo. No matter how hard she tries, she can never make him care for her more than he cares for you. He gave you that necklace, and he hasn't given anything to Momo. They've been friends ever since childhood. Yet he treats you better than he treats her"

Rukia's eyes were wide in surprise. "Orihime...how would you know that? How would you know that for sure? And how do you know Momo likes him?" She asked.

Orihime walked over to the bed and sat down. Shadows were covering her eyes, and her lips were forming a thin line. "I might not be very smart, but, I'm not as dumb as everyone think I am" The raven haired girl's eyes widened even more. "Everyone knows Momo likes him" She clenched her fist a bit. "I've been watching you" She said. "I guess...I'm jealous. I'm jealous of your relationship. Every day, I just wish Ichigo and I would have a relationship like the one the two of you have. I know it's not good to be jealous, but I just can't help it. I feel so disgusted with myself for feeling this way. And over for one of my best friends too"

Rukia couldn't say she wasn't shocked to hear that come from Orihime. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to the girl, looking at her in a way of pity. "Orihime..." No reaction. She gripped the pendant of her necklace. "I've felt jealous too. Every time they are together, or even just in the same room, I can't help feeling jealous" Only then did Orihime look at Rukia, revealing the moist that had gathered in her grey eyes.

"Rukia..."

"It is dangerous having that feeling, but we have to remind ourselves not to let it control us and do stupid things. I don't blame you for feeling jealous. I don't blame anyone for it. I don't believe there is a person in the world who hasn't felt, or wont feel jealous at some point. It is a natural feeling. Not everything in life is meant to be good. But that doesn't mean we have to give in to the evil. Life isn't fair, and that is why we need to fight to stay good. To know we can keep getting stronger no matter how hard it may be"

Orihime stared at Rukia for a while, before she giggled a bit. "That sounds like something Ichigo would say. Are you sure you aren't crushing on _him_?" She giggled some more.

Rukia threw a pillow at her, and smirked when it hit. "Don't compare me to _that_ idiot. And don't mention me having a crush on _him_. I like Toshiro and that's it" She sounded determined about it.

Orihime smiled softly at that. "I'm glad you say that. And I'm sorry I acted so strange before" She said. "But, when are you then going to tell Toshiro?" She asked.

Rukia held around the pendant. "I guess I'll just have to go with it. I'll tell him when I do" Rukia looked at Orihime, she took the other pillow. "Orihime, lets not think about it anymore. Lets just have some fun" She said and threw the pillow at Orihime, hitting her square in the face and laughed at her. Then their little pillow fight started.

* * *

When Orihime had gone home, Rukia was sitting at the table in the kitchen, eating dinner. Byakuya was sitting across from her at the table. It was silent. The only sounds that could be heard, were the sounds of their knife and fork, occasionally, gently clicking on their plates.

Rukia's eyes constantly darted back and forth between her food, and her brother. She didn't like the silence too much. But she didn't know what to say to her brother. He didn't look to be in the mood for talking, so she at end decided to just keep quiet.

But it wasn't long after, her brother broke the silence. "Rukia, where did you get that necklace?" He seemed to have noticed it only now. But he didn't seem to look too happy about it.

She held up the pendant before her, remembering the day Toshiro gave it to her. It had rained, and he'd looked so dead. Thinking about it, he'd always looked a bit dead. But after he gave the necklace to her, it seemed like he looked more dead than ever. Even so, he always had that supernatural glow in his eyes.

She looked at her brother. "Toshiro gave it to me" She said with a low voice. She knew Byakuya wasn't too fond of him. Toshiro had told her that. But why was that?

"I see" He sounded disappointed at something, but not the least surprised. And he was looking sternly at her. "Where did he get the necklace?" He seemed to be very interested in the necklace, and was questioning her like a cop would question a suspect.

She didn't really like the thought about that. "I don't know" She answered. But she thought about it herself. Where _did_ Toshiro get it? She had wondered about that for some time. She hadn't really thought about just asking him. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to do. She would ask him next time they would meet. After all, the necklace didn't seem to be normal. It allowed them to communicate with each other just by thought. And who knew what else it could do?

"Do you know what that necklace is made of?" Her brother's voice was serious. And the way he said that to her, made it sound like it was illegal in so many ways to make a necklace like the one she had.

She carefully shook her head to the sides. Byakuya still had the stern look on his face. "That chain you have around your neck, is a chain from hell. I have never seen such a little and thin hell-chain before, but I recognize it to surely be one"

Rukia's eyes were wide. Was it really true? It could only be true. She knew her brother would never have told her this if it wasn't. But...was she really wearing a chain from hell around her neck?

After a moment of silence, Byakuya spoke again. "Rukia, I do not wish you get involved with Hitsugaya in any way. Stay away from him. And end that silly friendship of your's"

The girl's eyes widened. "But brother-"

"Do as I say. I do not wish to be contradicted" Byakuya cut her off. "And do not make me repeat myself. Go to your room"

Rukia didn't say one more word. She just silently thanked for the food, and walked up to her room, closing the door behind her. She had no idea why her brother wanted her to stay away from Toshiro suddenly. She knew he wasn't specially fond him. But did that give him the right to keep them apart? Or was it just because Toshiro had given her a necklace that was made of a chain from hell? Either way, she didn't like it one bit. Just the thought broke her heart.

Back in the kitchen, the black-haired man, was finishing his dinner, and was having an evil grin on his lips, which was very uncharacteristic. And no one noticed his grey eyes flashing into yellow, before flashing back to grey.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way. Only the story is my _genius_ work.**

**Thank you for reading^^**


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